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COVID-19 - be sure to separate the waste

This April, the European Commission launched a recommendation that operators, waste management companies and municipalities continue to do selective collection and recycling of waste, despite the pandemic situation in Europe and the world.

Among Lasso containers’ costumers in Portugal, the municipality of Porto is one that did not cancel the selective collection process during this period. Through Porto Ambiente, the municipality continues to provide the selective waste collection service, encouraging its residents to separate the waste at home. Porto Ambiente has made a huge effort towards the disinfection and cleaning of recycling banks and containers, ensuring safe access to them by residents.

Proper waste management is part of the essential services provided to the community. In the European Union (EU), on average, each person produces almost half a ton of municipal waste per year, which means that every week more than 20 kg of municipal waste is generated per family. The total annual production of waste in the EU is 5 tonnes per capita. According to the guidelines expressed in the European Commission's document, preventing distortions in waste management, including selective collection and recycling of waste, is crucial for the health and safety of citizens, for the environment and for the economy.

“The general continuity of adequate urban waste management services, including selective collection and recycling, must be safeguarded”, says, in the document, the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius.

In this document, the European Commission provides guidance with the aim of ensuring a high level of protection of human health and the environment, while preventing and reducing interruptions in the provision of adequate waste management services: See the document referred to HERE:

“We know that in Portugal, although in some municipalities the selective collection has been provisionally postponed due to the exceptional situation caused by the coronavirus outbreak, there are several operators and municipalities that are making constant efforts to ensure the continuity of waste management activities, including selective collection and recycling, essential for the circular economy ”, says Pedro Martins da Costa, Lasso’s CEO.

It is important to make a special reference here to the advantages of Lasso’s underground and full-underground containers of large capacity, prepared to store large amounts of waste, which becomes even more important at a time when there is an increase in household waste production and, sometimes, with some delay in the collection operation. The compression of the waste by its own weight allows a higher density compared to the surface containers, which increases the storage capacity and reduces the number of trips for collection. On the other hand, the lower temperatures in the subsoil slow down the growth of bacteria, contributing to the reduction of odors, minimizing negative impacts in residential areas.